Hayes Carll Takes Reins for Ray Benson at 75th Birthday Bash
See photo gallery below.
If it wasn’t for Ray Benson and his long-running band Asleep At The Wheel, the term “Western Swing” might have been completely forgotten in the country music lexicon, let alone the vocabulary of America. Instead, the seeds Benson has planted and the branches it has grown for three quarters of a century have kept this essential dialect of country music alive in the ears and hearts of fans and performers.
Benson has done it all from his long-standing epicenter in Austin, TX. For 25 years, the official/unofficial start to the city’s annual SXSW festivities has been Ray Benson’s Birthday Bash, featuring some of the top names in music paying tribute to Ray, while Ray helps pay back the music community by benefiting the city’s Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, or HAAM.
In 2026, the Ray Benson Birthday Bash was exceptional for a host of reasons. First, since the SXSW festival/conference was officially “shortened” this year, the Birthday Bash happened on Tuesday, March 17th on one of the last official days of SXSW. Ironically, by attempting to shorten SXSW this year, the scheduled has been elongated, with Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion now being held on Thursday, and other events stretching into the upcoming weekend.
But the other reason the 2026 Ray Benson Birthday Bash was exceptional is that it marks Ray’s 75th year on planet Earth.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson showed up to offer a proclamation to Ray Benson from the city.
“Now therefore, I Kirk Watson, the Mayor of Austin, TX, do hereby proclaim March 17th, 2026 as Ray Benson Day in Austin, TX. Ladies and gentlemen, God bless Ray Benson,” Mayor Watson said in part.
To see the full video, CLICK HERE.
Texas Music Office Director Chip Adams also presented a letter from the State to Ray, as did Governor Greg Abbott to honor the important milestone.
“You have been entertaining audiences in renown dancehalls for decades, you’re influences on the American roots and Texas music landscape as you have accumulated 10 Grammys will be felt for generations. We are so proud to call you a fellow Texan. As you celebrate this milestone, I hope you take a moment to reflect upon your treasured memories, and to recognize the role you play in the story as big as Texas,” the letter signed by Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed.
The other reason Ray Benson’s 2026 Birthday Bash was exceptional is because it will be the last time Ray will celebrate his birthday publicly as part of SXSW. He officially turned the reigns over to Hayes Carll, who will be the HAAM event’s headliner in 2027 with Band of Heathens. Hayes and the Heathens released a self-titled album together in 2024, and tour together regularly.
Along with Hayes taking the stage to sing with Ray, The Soul Supporters opened the show before unannounced special guests Los Lonely Boys took the stage and regaled the 1,000+ people in attendance on the grounds of GSD&M on west 6th Street in Austin. The brother trio would also float on and off stage for the rest of the night as Ray himself and Asleep At The Wheel took the stage for a nearly two-hour performance.
The Asleep At The Wheel set also saw appearances by Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, who sung a version of “Deep Ellum Blues” and of course “Wagon Wheel.” Rick Trevino also appeared to help sing “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” with Los Lonely Boys, and also to pay tribute to the recently-passed Augie Meyers. Blue legend Jimmie Vaughn also took the stage for a few songs, as did jazz guitar legend Stanley Jordan.
Ray Benson originally formed Asleep At The Wheel in West Virginia in 1970. He then moved the band down to Texas in 1973 and immediately became integrated in the city’s “hippies and cowboys” music scene around the Armadillo World Headquarters and other locations. Along with earning 10 Grammy Awards with Asleep At The Wheel, Ray Benson has also released numerous solo records, and multiple collaborations.
Benson is a living piece of country music, Texas music, and Austin music history. He’s not going away just yet, but Austin and Texas made sure he got his flowers while he was still around to enjoy them.
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March 18, 2026 @ 9:17 am
Great pics
March 18, 2026 @ 9:49 am
Hey Kyle,
Thank you for covering Ray’s Birthday Bash/HAAM benefit. It’s been an incredible event for 25 years, and has done so much good for the Austin musical community. I’m honored to be able to step in and hopefully help HAAM continue their fundraising and good work.
I just wanted to clarify that I’ll be co-hosting the next two years with my friends Band of Heathens. They were on tour supporting their new record and weren’t able to be here for last nights show and handoff, and I’m afraid their future involvement got a little lost in the shuffle.
Hayes
March 18, 2026 @ 9:55 am
Hey Hayes,
Awesome, thanks for the additional info. That detail definitely didn’t trickle down to the press corps, but I have updated the article to make a note of it.